Stillmatic

Ether

Nas

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

End

359

Internal

123

Multi

321

Slant

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight

Overview

Lyrics

What's up niggas,^✦ hey yo, I know you ain't talking 'bout me dog

You, what?

("Fuck Jay-Z")

You been on my dick nigga,^✦ you love my style, nigga^✦

("Fuck Jay-Z")

Fuck with your soul like ether^✦

(Will) Teach you the king you know you

(Not) "God's son" across^✦ the belly^✦

(Lose) I prove you lost already^✦

Brace yourself for the main event^✦

Y'all impatiently waiting

It's like an AIDS test, what's the results?

Not positive, who's the best? Pac, Nas and Big

Ain't no best, East, West, North, South, flossed out, greedy^✦

I embrace y'all with napalm

Blows up, no guts, left chest, face gone

How could Nas be garbage?^✦

Semi-autos at your cartilage^✦

Burner^✦ at the side of your dome, come outta^✦ my throne

I got this, locked^✦ since '9-1

I am the truest, name a rapper^✦ that I ain't influenced

Gave y'all chapters but now I keep my eyes on the Judas^✦

With Hawaiian^✦ Sophie fame, kept my name in his music^✦

Check it

Fuck with your soul like ether^✦

(Will) Teach you the king you know you

(Not) "God's son" across^✦ the belly^✦

(Lose) I prove you lost already^✦

Hey yo, pass me the weed, pour my ashes^✦ out on these niggas^✦ man (no doubt)

Hey, y'all fagots,^✦ y'all kneel and kiss the fuckin'^✦ ring

Fuck with your soul like ether^✦

(Will) Teach you the king you know you

(Not) "God's son" across^✦ the belly^✦

(Lose) I prove you lost already^✦

I've been fucked^✦ over,^✦ left for dead, dissed^✦ and forgotten

Luck ran out, they hoped^✦ that I'd be gone, stiff and rotten^✦

Y'all just piss on me, shit on me, spit on my grave (uh)

Talk about^✦ me, laugh behind my back but in my face

Y'all some "well wishers, " friendly acting,^✦ envy^✦ hiding^✦ snakes^✦

With your hands out for my money,^✦ man, how much can I take?

When these streets keep calling,^✦ heard it when I was sleep

That this Gay-Z and Cockafella Records^✦ wanted^✦ beef

Started cocking up my weapon,^✦ slowly^✦ loading up this ammo^✦

To explode it on a camel,^✦ and his soldiers, I can handle

This for dolo^✦ and it's manuscript, just sound stupid^✦

When KRS already^✦ made an album called^✦ Blueprint

First, Biggie's^✦ ya man, then you got the nerve to say that you better^✦ than Big

Dick sucking lips, whyn't you let the late, great veteran live

"God's son" across^✦ the belly,^✦ I prove you lost already^✦

The king is back, where my crown at?

(I'll, will) Ill Will rest in peace, let's do it niggas^✦

Fuck with your soul like ether^✦

(Will) Teach you the king you know you

(Not) "God's son" across^✦ the belly^✦

(Lose) I prove you lost already^✦

Y'all niggas^✦ deal with emotions like bitches

What's sad is I love you 'cause you're my brother

You traded^✦ your soul for riches^✦

My child, I've watched you grow up to be famous

And now I smile like a proud dad, watching his only^✦ son that made it

You seem to be only^✦ concerned with dissing women^✦

Were you abused^✦ as a child, scared^✦ to smile, they called^✦ you ugly?^✦

Well life is hard, hug me, don't reject me

Or make records^✦ to disrespect me, blatant or indirectly

In '88 you was getting^✦ chased^✦ through your building

Calling^✦ my crib and I ain't even^✦ give you my numbers

All I did was gave you a style for you to run with

Smiling in my face, glad to break bread with the god

Wearing Jaz chains, no TECs, no cash, no cars

No jail bars Jigga,^✦ no pies, no case

Just Hawaiian^✦ shirts, hanging^✦ with little Chase

You a fan, a phony,^✦ a fake, a pussy,^✦ a Stan

I still whip your ass, you thirty-six in a karate^✦ class

You Tae-bo^✦ hoe, trying to work it out, you tryna'^✦ get brolic?^✦

Ask me if I'm trying to kick knowledge

Nah, I'm trying to kick the shit you need to learn though

That ether,^✦ that shit that make your soul burn slow

Is he Dame Diddy,^✦ Dame Daddy^✦ or Dame Dummy?^✦

Oh, I get it, you Biggie and he's Puffy^✦

Rockafeller died of AIDS, that was the end of his chapter

And that's the guy y'all chose to name your company after?^✦

Put it together, I rock hoes, y'all rock fellas^✦

And now y'all try to take my spot, fellas?^✦

Philly's hot rock fellas,^✦ put you in a dry spot, fellas^✦

In a pine box with nine shots from my Glock, fellas^✦

Foxy^✦ got you hot 'cause you kept your face in her puss

What you think, you getting^✦ girls now 'cause of your looks?

Ne-gro^✦ please

You no mustache having,^✦ with whiskers like a rat

Compared to Beans you wack

And your man stabbed Un and made you take the blame

You ass, went from Jaz to hanging^✦ with Caine, to Herb, to Big

And, Eminem^✦ murdered you on your own shit

You a dick-riding fagot,^✦ you love the attention

Queens niggas^✦ run you niggas,^✦ ask Russell Simmons

Ha, R-O-C get gunned^✦ up and clapped^✦ quick

J.J. Evans^✦ get gunned^✦ up and clapped^✦ quick

Your whole damn record label^✦ gunned^✦ up and clapped^✦ quick

Shaun Carter^✦ to Jay-Z, damn you on Jaz dick

So little shorty's getting^✦ gunned^✦ up and clapped^✦ quick

How much of Biggie's^✦ rhymes^✦ is goin' come out your fat lips?

Wanted^✦ to be on every^✦ last one of my classics

You pop shit, apologize, nigga,^✦ just ask Kiss

Technical Breakdown

9.4

Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres9.0

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm10.0

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity7.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control10.0

Performance and control

Computed Score9.38

Production

— Ron Browz

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Critic Analysis

RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Nas utilizes aggressive, percussive delivery to shift the power dynamic of the beef, pairing high-impact shock value with surgical, multi-layered lyricism that deconstructs the opponent's persona.

A+

8.5

Multisyllabic

9.5

Internal Rhymes

Cadence / Flow

Vocabulary

Wordplay

Delivery

Aggressive prosodyInternal rhyme densityPhonetic manipulationDirect addressContextual subversion

Rhyme Architecture: The scheme relies on tight, relentless multisyllabic clusters (e.g., 'ether/teach you/God's son/lose'), utilizing a mix of enjambed lines that build tension leading into explosive, percussive payoffs.

Verified Doubles & Entendres

"Fuck with your soul like ether"

① A chemical substance (ether) used as a solvent or anesthetic that acts violently on the body.② A destructive spiritual force that corrupts or eliminates the essence of the target.

"It's like an AIDS test, what's the results? / Not positive"

① The medical result of an HIV test being negative.② A negation of the opponent's 'positive' (successful/winning) status in the hip-hop hierarchy.

"God's son across the belly"

① A literal reference to Jay-Z's tattoo of 'God's Son'.② The act of 'losing' or being 'disemboweled' (spiritually) by Nas, stripping the opponent of the title they tattooed on themselves.

Exceptional command of rhythmic tension and release

Masterful use of wordplay to strip the opponent of their 'God's Son' branding

High-impact, culturally resonant imagery

Superior cadence variation

Occasional reliance on shock value that risks overshadowing the underlying lyrical complexity

Linear progression of the beef-focused narrative may limit cross-era appeal

User Scores

Notes

The greatest diss record in hip-hop history. Nas dismantles Jay-Z with surgical precision and barely-concealed rage